Assets for Independence (AFI) is a community-based program administered at the federal level by the Office of Community Services (OCS). Utilizing existing individual and community assets, AFI supports innovative projects that build upon these assets to give low-income families a hand up out of poverty. AFI programs feature Individual Development Accounts (IDAs), financial education, and related services that enable low-income people to improve their economic status and become economically self-sufficient.

In an effort to assure quality services for children of all ages, ACF extends its programs to young children and their families. An important step in this work has been the establishment of a more integrated focal point for early childhood at the federal level.

Given the importance of state and local activities to early childhood development, we work closely with state partners, particularly the State Advisory Councils, State Child Care Administrators and State Pre-k Directors, as well as with communities promoting a systems approach to early learning and development.

The American people have long shown their considerable compassion and generosity through a broad range of community-based entities, including a diverse group of faith-based organizations. Faith-based groups provide critical human services, and, in emergencies, they consistently stand shoulder-to-shoulder with government in the first line of response. Our nation is stronger for their work.

ACF recognizes that without the engagement of secular and faith-based nonprofits, community organizations, neighborhoods and wider communities, services will not reach people who need them most. This initiative allows us to build and support partnerships with faith-based and community organizations in order to better serve individuals, families and communities in need.

The purpose of this initiative is to help couples, who have chosen marriage for themselves, gain greater access to marriage education services, on a voluntary basis, where they can acquire the skills and knowledge necessary to form and sustain a healthy marriage.

The Administration for Children and Families (ACF) envisions children, youth, families, individuals, and communities who are resilient, safe, healthy, and economically secure. ACF has worked for more than a decade to better identify and serve victims of human trafficking, among the most marginalized and under-recognized members of our community. Victims of human trafficking need support to safely rebuild their lives.

The ACF-wide Human Trafficking and Modern-Day Slavery Initiative is a step towards implementing the federal government’s commitment to protecting victims by strengthening coordination across programs and Federal departments.

ACF has made it a high priority to create and encourage greater collaboration and service integration among its programs and agencies. To achieve that integration at the state level, we offer an Interoperability toolkit. Service integration or ‘interoperability’ as it is known today, is gaining tremendous momentum and is transforming the way the public and private sectors plan for change and conduct business. Over the course of the next few years, our health and human service systems will change dramatically, offering enormous opportunities for improving how we do business. This transformation is due, in large part, to the passage of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) as well as other technological and business related innovations. Interoperability encourages partnerships and provides incentives for states that integrate services.

Victims of human trafficking need support to safely rebuild their lives. Under the Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services is named as the agency responsible for helping human trafficking victims get the benefits and services they need.

A critical component of the Rescue & Restore campaign is the creation of the National Human Trafficking Resource Center (1-888-373-7888). Center staff help callers determine if they have encountered victims of human trafficking, identify local resources available in their community and connect victims with local social service organizations so that they can safely begin the process of restoring their lives.

The Responsible Fatherhood Initiative encourages fathers to be present in their children’s lives, taking an active and responsible role in raising and supporting them.

There are many facets of this administration-wide effort. ACF has promoted father involvement and services to fathers throughout its many programs by policy-making, grant-making and technical assistance to states, tribes, grantees and faith-based and neighborhood organizations.

Several of ACF’s major programs—TANF, Child Care, Child Welfare, Child Support Enforcement and Head Start—offer direct funding to federally-recognized tribes. In addition, tribes and other American Indian or Alaska Native organizations are eligible applicants for most ACF competitive grant programs, some of which are specifically designated to tribes.

In addition, the Administration for Native Americans (ANA), offers three specific grant opportunities for federally-recognized tribes and Native American organizations: Social and Economic Development Strategies (SEDS), Language Preservation and Environmental Regulatory Enhancement.